Airship



June 30, 1925.

J. E. BROYLES AIRSHIP Filed Sept. 20, 1924 Patented June 30, I925.

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ENLOE BROYLES, OF COCO SOLO, CANAL ZONE.

Application filed September 20, 1924. Serial no. 738,857.

. To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOHN E. BROYLES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coco Solo, Canal Zone, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in an Airship, of which the following is a specification. c

This invention relates to an improved air ship or dirigible and it has more particular in reference to means which is provided for landing passengers on water while the envelope proper is in suspension.

The principal feature of the invention is the connection between the envelope and the boat in which the passengers are landed, the samebeing such as to permit the envelope to pivot about it so that the nose of the latter will always be directed into the wind, thus oapsizing of the boat is prevented and loading of passengers facilitated. y I

g It is an object of the invention to provide a boat which is capable of being raised and lowered with res eat to the envelope so that passengers may descend into the boat to be transferred to some other conveyance. The

device also affords a means for loading passe-ngers.

More specifically speaking, the invention resides in the provision of a boat on the under side of the dirigible proper, suitable hoisting means being provided. for raising and lowering the boat, and the latter being provided with a stairway and tubular casing therefor in communication with the occupant compartments of the dirigible to enable persons to ascend or descend through Y said stair casing.

\ Other features and advantages of the invention maybecome apparent from the following description and drawing.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like reference numeralsare employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dirigible or airship constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is'a similar view, with portions broken away and shown in section, showing the passenger boat lowered onto abody of water. Y

In the drawing, the reference character 1 designatesgenerally a more or less conventional form of dirigible embodying the propellers 2, rudders 3 and other details. In,

the present instance, the dirigible is provided on its under side with a suitably constructed senger boat 6 is a tubular stairway casing 7 which is adapted to pass through an opening in the underside of the dirgible and telescoped into the passageway 5 as represented in dotted'lines in Figure 1. Arranged within the casing 7 is a stairway, a ladder, or its equivalent. The part 7 is suitably anchored and is preferably surrounded at its bottom by a flanged sleeve 8. Cables 9 have their inner ends attached to the flange of the sleeve as seen in Figure 2 with their outer ends wound on drums 10. The drums are supported on the standards 11 and are rotated by motors 12 having suitable driving connection therewith.

Assuming that the boat 6 has been lowered I onto the water, it will be seen that upon starting the motor 12 and driving the drums 11 in the proper direction, the cables 9 will be wound thereon inthe manner to move the boat into engagement with the underside of the dirigible for flying as seen in' Figure 1. The cables 9 are trained over pulleys 13 carried by the envelope.

When the boat is in lowered position, the upper end of the casing 7, which has a door, is so disposed as to permit passengers to pass from the compartments 4 into thecasing 7 to descend by means of the stairway.

Although it is not shown, the stairway cas-- ing may be provided at its bottom with a suitably designed door by means of which the passengers may escape into the boat.

Attention is directed to the fact that when sengers while the dirigible is in suspension at a safe distance above the water.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear comprehension of the invention after carefully considering the description in connection with the drawing.

V For this reason, a more lengthy description is deemed unnecessary.

While I have shown and described the specific embodiment of the. invention, it is to be understood that minor changes which fall within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A dirigible equipped with a passenger boat capable of being lowered while the dirigible is in suspension, and means of communication between the boat and dirigicompartment having a vertical cylindrical guide between its ends, a boat suspended from the under side of said dirigible, a cylindrical stair casing anchored upon the boat and rising from the bottom thereof and extending through an opening in the bottom of the dirigible to'telescope into said guide,

a stairway arranged within said casing, and 25 means for raising and lowering the boat.

In testimony' whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN ENLOEBROYLES. 

